Z-Man TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS Swimbait Hook: Reviewed (With Video)

Trying to find the right hook for your swimbait can be intimidating. In the end, if it’s a sturdy hook and your swimbait is presented well, you should be good. But, like many anglers, you might want to eliminate the guessing game and buy a proven hook. Surf fishing with swimbaits is an exciting method when fishing from the beach. If you’re thinking about using a Texas rig, you might have already come across the Z Man TT Lures Chinlockz SWS Swimbait Hook.

Is it a good hook? What swimbait should you pair with it? I’ll do my best to answer all the most common questions within this comprehensive review.

If you have any questions I didn’t touch upon, feel free to comment in the comment section at the bottom of this article and I’ll get back to you quickly.

Z-Man TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS Swimbait Hook Overview

The Z-Man TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS Swimbait Hook is a weighted swimbait hook with two weights. One weight is on the base of the curve. This helps to keep the lure and hook swimming upright while retrieving. The second weight is at the “chin” of the hook. And this actually acts as a lock to keep your swimbait from sliding down the hook.

Pros:

• Dual weight system ads to casting distance.
• “Chinlock” weight keeps your swim bait on well.
• Hook is strong, sharp and durable.

Cons:

• 1/6 oz and heavier create bigger holes in your swimbait

Key Take Aways

After testing this swimbait hook for a while now, I’m confident that I hook fish better using these than the Warbaits weedless jig heads, but the lure doesn’t stay on quite as well. I don’t think that’s to blame on the hook as much as it is on the Texas rig. The Warbaits Weedless Jighead is incredibly hardy, reliable, durable, effective and easy to use.

I think fishing a Texas rig with this weighted hook and similar ones may just take a little bit of skill, finesse, and getting better at putting the swimbait on the hook.

How to Rig a Swimbait onto the Z Man TT Lures Chinlockz Swimbait Hook

Step 1.

Puncture the front of the swimbait.

Step 2.

Exit the tip of the hook out the bottom of the swimbait about 1/4 of an inch from the front of the swimbait. On the Keitech 4.8″ Fat Swing Impact Swimbait, this is just before all the ripples start.

Step 3.

Slide the hook through the swimbait’s head and then slide the swimbait’s head over the weighted section of the swimbait hook.

This is where the heavier weights do a little damage to the swimbait. They can create a wider hole than you might like which can result in a lose and fragile swimbait. I’ve found the 1/8 oz hooks to be perfect and I pair those with a 1/2 oz bullet weight using a Texas rig.

Step 4.

Slide the swimbait over the second (smaller) weight at the chin of the hook. Make sure the weight completely enters and exits the swimbait and rotate the body of teh swimbait 180 degrees to the position illustrated below.

• If you’re confused here, the white underside of the swimbait was previously on top. We just rotated it so the dark side was on top.

Step 5.

Line up the hook by the side of the swimbait and note where you need to enter and exit to ensure the swimbait fits properly on your hook.

This may take some practice, but once you see where the back of the hook would naturally sit in the swimbait, bend it around until you can puncture the swimbait and exit smoothly.

It should look similar to the image below but mine is a little sloppy… do better than I did.

Once you’re here, go ahead and rig it up with a Texas rig (slide your bullet weight on and tight it off.

How to Fish with the Z-Man TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS Swimbait Hook

If you want to see this hook in action, check out this video below where I use it while sight casting for halibut in the surf!